Online Journalists Are Real Journalists

Sunshine Week At The Capitol March 11th – 15th

March
11th is Newspaper Day at the Nevada Capitol, and March
11th-15th is Sunshine week in Nevada. During Sunshine Week,
journalists
reflect on the legal
tools and personal
obligations we have to
report on things that happen in the Silver State.

As Sunshine week unfolds across Nevada, I find myself swirling in the midst of a maelstrom that has attracted nationalattention. This controversy takes aim at our First Amendment Rights as journalists and more importantly as citizens. This question has many of my journalism brothers and sisters outraged nationwide.

On Monday, March 4th, First District Court Judge James Wilson issued an order forcing me to reveal confidential sources for a story I published on October 16th, 2017. I now have to choose between revealing sources I promised to keep confidential or going to jail and being fined.

A
little about the (complicated) case.

I operate The Storey Teller, an online newspaper (not a blog) in Storey County. I report on ordinary public interest items as well as matters of County budget & finance, the actions of our elected and public officials, and events at Tahoe Reno Industrial Park (home to Tesla and Google) in Storey County.

Gilman, one of the wealthiest men in Northern Nevada, insists he lives in a doublewide trailer with another man and woman behind the swimming pool at the Mustang Ranch Brothel, and not the home he owns in Washoe Valley. Evidence and interviews I conducted suggest otherwise. In order to be a Storey County Commissioner, you must reside in the district you represent.

Nevada’s Shield Law. The Toughest In The Nation

In December 2017, Gilman served me with an 8 count defamation lawsuit. Judge Wilson dismissed 7 of the 8 counts but allowed limited discovery on the remaining one.

In
May 2018, Gilman’s attorney insisted I reveal the confidential
sources who told me Gilman doesn’t live in the doublewide. I
refused to answer those questions and invoked Nevada’s Reporter
Shield Law.

Gilman insisted I am not a journalist and that my news site is not the modern-day equivalent of a newspaper. He filed a motion with Judge Wilson who granted a hearing to consider my journalistic credentials.

The hearing, which was scheduled and then rescheduled twice over the course of six months, was by Monday’s surprise ruling. In his ruling, Judge Wilson declared:

Can A Journalist Be a Journalist Without a Printing Press?

I
am a journalist solely because I joined the Nevada Press Association
(NPA).

The
Teller is not a
“newspaper” because the NPA did not classify it as such on it’s
website and I don’t put ink to paper.

This ruling should concern every online news source in Nevada and is the source of angst across the country. How many online-only newspapers expect to be shielded from revealing whistle-blowers in the course of practicing journalism? In our estimation, this ruling simply doesn’t reflect the landscape of our industry in 2019.

Why
This Matters

In the last 10 days, I have been contacted by three separate individuals with information that could break important stories surrounding alleged misdeeds in Storey County. These people could lose their jobs, their families or worse if exposed. I promised to maintain their confidentially. I told them I would go to jail before I revealed them as the source of the information I report.

Integrity is the most precious currency we have as journalists. Without it, the public would not entrust us with the information we need to help protect society from wrongdoers.

I will be conferring with journalists, legislators and other stakeholders around the state to discuss the best way to bring the Nation’s strongest Shield Law into the 21st century during the 2021 Legislative Session.

If you have any thoughts on the best way to do this, please reach out to me via my news site.

Meanwhile,
I’ll be asking the Sheriff to dust off the VIP suite at the Storey
County Hoosegow.

Check Also

4 comments

Sam Toll, 3/10/19
A brief perspective From the patriot who knows as much about the pusillanimously perverted
Reno-Nevada situation as ANYBODY else. More!

1. I might not be what the judge would call a real-thingee reporter. BUT! I HAVE REPORTED
AS MUCH NEWS AS THE NEXT 25 RENO “REPORTERS” ADDED TOGETHER. With countless Youtube Channels of authentication. One of them.http://www.renocitizen.com/samvictories.htm

2. One of many problems is that there are too many people masquerading as reporters.. who cannot
begin to be as talented and patriotic as you. And they are either jealous or being
coerced by he very same people you are reporting about and trying to expose.

3. Just 1 of myriad questions about Storey County: How can a person be a Storey County
commissioner when he lives many miles away from the County???
Why hasn’t this imposter been removed? Shouldn’t the judge be more concerned with
that than questioning the authenticity of Steve Toll, one of Nevada’s very finest reporters?
Sam DNA Dehne
PS
On top of it all, some of these double-dealing bureaucrats are using every nefarious
scheme out there to denigrate Storey County’s patriotic sheriff.
PSS
You are in good company. Mark Twain should be jealous.

I’m very disappointed in the Judge’s ruling. In this day and age there are countless online news agencies that routinely offer text in addition to audible information. I can only imagine the consternation of your fellow journalists!
The most inspiring aspect of the article is your steadfast integrity with respect to your confidential sources.
Keep up the good work.

Sam Toll,
LAW? WHAT LAW? WHAT DID THE RGJ DO ?
It’s like you having video camera pictures of somebody robbing your house.
But instead of Law Authorities investigating the thief they challenge your right
to have the video camera in your home.
Reporter Sam Toll’s report was about Gilman not living in the County where
he is masquerading as a commissioner. (NOT ABOUT “SOURCES”)
Pure Bait and Switch. And with sleazy help from the media.
Sam DNA Dehne

Sam Toll,
Notwithstanding the judge’s ignoring the merits of your charges against Gilman,
I applaud you as loudly as I can for your courageous Patriotism.
In the meantime this imposter is allowed to continue to masquerade as a
dignitary; with the authorities burying evidence that proves the residence
situation JDLR. Just Don’t Look Right!
Isn’t it beyond ludicrous to try to perpetrate a scheme where a $$Millionaire
is sharing a trailer as their home? Period.
Every honest citizen in Nevada should be singing your brave praises.
Sam DNA Dehne